If a child you care about has emotional or behavioral challenges, you’re NOT alone. As many as one in five kids suffer from mental health problems. It doesn’t mean they’re bad kids. It could mean a need for services from multiple helpers -- schools, doctors and other professionals.

THE HIGH COST OF THE “RUN-AROUND”

Unfortunately, if these helping “systems” don’t communicate and work together with families to plan and coordinate services, families can feel powerless, caught in a “run-around.” Emotional or behavior problems can spiral into emergencies, with devastating results. In some cases, families give up custody, place their kids in residential treatment centers, or face the corrections system. In fact, West Virginia spends tens of millions of dollars each year placing its young people in restrictive facilities, far from home.

THERE IS A BETTER WAY -- A PROVEN APPROACH KNOWN AS “WRAPAROUND”

As part of a nationwide movement, the Mountain State Family Alliance has been working to build a cost-effective, “wraparound” system of care in West Virginia. As a growing team of parents, state agencies, mental health providers, schools and others, we’ve teamed up to develop services, train professionals and empower families, in diverse communities, in twelve different counties.

“WRAPAROUND” IS WORKING FOR FAMILIES IN WEST VIRGINIA!

Regional and national studies are showing that kids of families involved in the Wraparound process in a System of Care have fewer out-of-home placements, do better in school, and function better at home and in their communities. For more information visit our website, or to talk with a parent who has “been there,” call our Region 2 Family Network toll free, 1-888-711-4334.